Cherry Almond Dessert Bars - with toasted almonds
These cherry almond dessert bars are a scrumptious combination of cherries and almonds on top of a brown sugar and oatmeal cookie base! They are sweet and chewy bars. Delightful for any time of year, particulary in the fall and summer months. The ingredients are simple, easy to keep on hand and easy to find in the grocery store. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almonds sliced
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 cups brown sugar packed
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
- 12 oz cherry preserves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a 13 x 9 baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Make sure to grease the foil, if using. Lining the pan will allow you to easily lift the bars out of the pan for easier cutting.
- OPTIONAL STEP - TOASTING THE ALMONDS - Heat a medium sized non-stick skillet to medium heat. Dump the almonds into the pan and spread out evenly. Stir and flip the almonds every 5 seconds until some of the almonds turn golden brown. Spread out on a plate or piece of foil/parchment paper to cool.
- With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the softened butter in a large bowl for half a minute. Gradually add in brown sugar and baking powder. Make sure to clean the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Mix in almond extract and the egg until well combined.
- With a sturdy spoon, stir in the flour and oatmeal. Set aside 1 - 2 tablespoons of the almonds for the topping. Add the rest of the almonds to the batter and stir in to combine. Seperate out 1/2 cup of the dough and set aside for the topping. Evenly press the remaining dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Evenly spread the cherry preserves on top of the dough. Take the 1/2 cup of dough that was set aside and evenly crumble it on top of the cherry filling. Now sprinkle on the remainder of the almonds.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown.
Notes
COOL & SLICE - Set the pan to cool on a wire rack. Once the bars have cooled, if you lined the pan, remove them from the pan to a cutting board for easier cutting.
I like to cut mine into cherry almond squares but you could also cut them into 4-inch long strips. A smaller size bar would be fun for bite size servings.
STORAGE - Store bars in an airtight container, in the refregerator, for up to 3 days. You can also freeze these bars for one to two months in an airtight freezer safe container. I like to add a layer or cling wrap to the container for an extra seal. Store them in a single layer.
LAST THOUGHTS - You can easliy double this recipe and make a large batch in a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. I have been known to add an extra ounce or two of the fruit preserves. Cherry preserves will be more tart, so keep that in mind.
Mix up the flavors - this can be made with most any flavor of fruit preserves... try strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, or apricot preserves!
Look for fresh fruit preserves at your local farmers market or orchard!
*** This recipe was apdated from Better Homes & Garden - Chewy Cherry Almond Bars Recipe, 2012